15th February 2011
__NOINDEX__ WELLS WAY TRIANGLE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION Minutes of Committee Meeting held on 15th February 2011 Attending: Jenny Bentall (Chair), Christophe Gueraud, David Frost (Treasurer) Mike Morris, Tessa Brown (Garden Group), Richard Llewellyn-Davies (general secretary), Tom Tibbits, Jenny Jones, Kapie Mzumara In attendance: Beatrice Stevens, Kevin Skinner 1. Apologies: Andrew Osborne Extra Item: Police Community Safer Neighbourhoods Team Officers from the team had requested to meet us as a new TRA in their ward. Three community police officers introduced the safer neighbourhoods team and were able to describe some of the issues and problems that they are able to tackle. This includes anti-social behaviour, drug dealing, dangerous dogs, street violence, and street drinking. Dangerous dogs, drugs on the estates and street drinking have all been priorities. Community Safer Neighbourhoods Officers priorities are informed by the Ward Panel Meetings which set the agenda for the team so representation at these meetings is important. They will also work to support victims of crime. When asked about noise nuisance the team made it clear that they have very few powers in this area. The council noise patrol leads with this. When asked about patrols on bikes the police commented that some of them were waiting for cycle training. It was noted that the community patrols were a training environment and therefore currently had an extra PC working in this ward. We will be able to send a representative when invited to the Safer Neighbourhoods Meetings if we contact them. They left contact details with us. 2. Minutes of the Committee Meeting of 18th January Under item 7.2 TRA Status with Council Housing dept, to be changed from ‘It would help if…’ to ‘We would be required to….’ The minutes were agreed. 3. Matters arising 3.1. Southampton Way Road Danger Reduction Proposals Jenny B had written as agreed to councillors and road planners about lack of response to our comments on these plans. She has since had a response from them, with detailed plans and their assertion that their plans would improve road safety. Work has already started which would indicate they were anxious to get the work done within this year’s budget. 3.2. Gardening group The group were congratulated on the work on the plot in Coleman Road. We will all have to keep an eye on it! A further meeting will be held on the 12th March. Tessa Brown and the group are aiming to leaflet residents about this. Tessa has also spoken to the curator of Camberwell Arts Week about including local artists from our area, to create a trail linking the centre of Camberwell to the local area. The curator was very keen on this. The weekends of the 18th to the 26th June and the week in between are timetables for the event. The curator can arrange closure of the streets in order to hold the event or a street party. Artists’ applications for exhibiting have to be submitted by April. Leaflets distributed to residents will include details. Tessa will also be able to forward application forms to those wanting them. The idea of using the church hall and car park, in place of people’s homes, as exhibition space was floated. The association were very positive about the idea in principle. Tessa will go back to the curator to find out about leaflet drops and getting artists involved. We will plan for the weekend of the 18th June for an open event and street party. 3.3. Finances We agreed that Natwest could act as the bankers for the WWTRA. The Chair, Treasurer and Andrew Osborne (committee member) will act as signatories to the account. Two signatures will be required. 3.4. Burgess Park The plans for Burgess Park have been approved. Local groups are not totally happy with the outcome but believe that the council have moved as far as they are going to move. 3.5. Music in the school playground This has stopped. Tom Tibbits will prepare a letter to the school and Governors thanking them for taking action. 3.6. Rainbow Street'' lights'' The lights in Rainbow Street will be diffuse and should be less invasive. There will only be one additional street light. They have already started to install them.'' ''3.7. Communications and Wiki Site'' A Newsletter giving update on the committee’s activities has been distributed to the area and posted on the wiki. Kapie reported that the site was going well. ''3.8. Anything Else'' 149 Southampton Way Southwark Planners have recommended that planning permission is refused on the grounds of a glass wall as part of the extension. They have not refused on the grounds of use. The decision is to be taken by the Camberwell Community Council. Jenny B and ZLT will attend. Hoardings outside the old Bricklayers arms on Southampton Way These remain and are blocking pavement. Jenny B and ZLT to approach builders to get them removed. Las Delicias Las Delicias, Bolivian café on Southampton Way, has applied for a licence to open until 4.30am three nights per week. Jenny J had received some concerns from neighbours and she will investigate further '''4. Kevin Skinner – Registration with Southwark Housing as a Tenants and Residents Association (TRA). The council does own a small number of properties within the WWT area. We are not a majority council housing area but this should not prevent us from becoming a registered TRA. Brunswick Park TRA is a similar demographic as our own area. Kevin is keen for us to become a TRA and to participate in the local Housing Forum. Much of the focus of meetings is about matters that directly concern council housing. However housing policy impacts non-council residents as well. Kevin had been given a copy of our constitution to examine, which had been presented at our inaugural meeting and was based on the Councils recommended constitution. He suggested 2 amendments. Firstly, that it should state that the Association should hold 4 General meetings each year and secondly that the Association should state that it is politically neutral and that no Southwark elected Councillor can hold office on the committee. The committee readily agreed to recommend these amendments to a General Meeting of the Association. Once the bank account has been set up we will be able to apply for the £300 start up funding. To apply for larger sums we will require a minimum number of meeting attendees to be council tenants. We accepted that this would be challenging and that we would not be comfortable with recording the tenure of attendees to our community meetings. Kevin Skinner will be our residents involvement coordinator from the council for an initial period. He can advise us on organising ourselves as a TRA; help us to find our way around the various council departments; and also put us in touch with other TRAs. The Area Housing Forum (Camberwell East) is a local group of representatives from TRAs who meet on a regular basis with housing managers. Kevin would like to see us participate in these meeting, though this is not compulsory. The meetings are held in Harris Street Housing Office. Kevin can send us timetables for the next meetings and we will nominate two people to attend the next meeting to observe. Some TRAs use additional funding to provide community services for them, such as line dancing clubs or parents and toddlers associations. We may wish to request these. If we wish a housing officer to attend future meetings we will be able to invite them via Kevin. A week’s notice would be desirable for this. The Housing dept can provide printing and graphic design, as long as we are acting on behalf of the TRA. This is available on Thursdays 11am till 9pm and Fridays 11am till 5pm at a council facility behind Peckham fire station. It was suggested that either ZLT or Tessa may be able to design a logo for the Association. As a TRA we can apply for public funding from funds such as the “cleaner, greener, safer” fund. Community Action Southwark have funding advisors who can advise on accessing public funds. The Southwark Groups of Tenants Organisations can provide audit services for the accounts of the TRA. Kevin was thanked for his advice and information and we will consider further ways in which Kevin can help us in due course. Kevin can be e mailed at kevin.skinner@southwark.gov.uk 5. Planning for the next general meeting The next meeting will be a General Meeting on Public Transport in our Area. To be held on Tuesday 29th March. Val Shawcross is booked to come. Negotiations are in progress with TfL. Jenny B, David and Mike met with Malc McDonald of the EvolutionQuarter Residents Association who has undertaken amazing work monitoring and collecting information about local transport services. We agreed to invite him to the meeting. There was no time to discuss detail of plans for the meeting, so David Frost, Tessa Brown, ZLT , Tom Tibbits and Jenny B will meet on the 1st March at 26 Coleman Rd from 7 till 8 to arrange the next general meeting. 6. AOB 6. 1. The By-Election Jenny Bentall gave notice that she is standing as a candidate for Brunswick Park Ward by-election for the Green Party. Should she win she will no longer be able to be chair. 6.2. Transport Plan for Southwark Consultation on this is currently taking place. Closing date 18th March. Tom to investigate especially as it may have relevance to our meeting on Public Transport. 7. Dates of next meetings General Meeting -29th March 6.30 Committee Meeting – 26th April, 8pm General Meeting/ Art Event 18th June